Raptors/OKC

Does this Raptors team remind anyone of the Thunder team during their first year in OKC. Not necessarily based on talent but that team was young, had a hard time winning, especially early in the season, then turned it around and made a strong finish (20-30 after starting 3-29, to finish 23-59). The rest is history and the haven't won less than 49 games since (crazy since there was only 66 games last season). Hopefully the Raps can turn it around like that. Of course we don't have a Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka or Harden to pin hopes on.

Does this Raptors team remind anyone of the Thunder team during their first year in OKC. Not necessarily based on talent but that team was young, had a hard time winning, especially early in the season, then turned it around and made a strong finish (20-30 after starting 3-29, to finish 23-59). The rest is history and the haven't won less than 49 games since (crazy since there was only 66 games last season). Hopefully the Raps can turn it around like that. Of course we don't have a Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka or Harden to pin hopes on.

excellent counterpoint in your last sentence, about a 100 ppl are going to make the same conclusion though

I think you hit the nail on the head, which has been discussed in countless threads: the post-Bosh era Raptors have (for the most part at least) followed a solid building plan, similar to the OKC building strategy. The problem for the Raptors - and where the comparison usually breaks down - is that the caliber of players drafted mid-lottery by the Raptors is nowhere near as good as the caliber of players drafted by OKC (top-4 pick 3 years in a row). Hell, without lucking into Durant (thanks Portland!), there would be no "OKC plan" to even talk about.

That's the problem with being a treadmill team, finishing in the 6-22 range in the NBA (based on draft positions). The 1-5 range are far more likely to draft franchise altering players with a top-5 pick. The 23-30 range teams are those 8 teams that make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs (at least) year after year. It's the half of the league stuck in the middle of the pack, that need to do something drastic to alter their fate; either tank for top-5 pick, lure a top free agent (not Toronto's strength) or make a bold high risk/reward trade and hope for the best.

My biggest beef with BC is that even when he finally went about a proper rebuild (did he have a choice after Bosh left?), he still used bandaid solutions to try and remain somewhat competitive, which did nothing productive and actually hurt the team by costing them draft spots. Once he drafted Valanciunas @ #5 in 2010, knowing full well that he wouldn't join the team until 2012, BC should've gone 100% into tank-mode for 2011. He should have traded away all old/expiring player who aren't going to be part of the team's long-term core, in favor of young players, cheaper contracts and draft picks (max flexiblity), while spoonfeeding young players playing time to develop both individually and as a team. This year should have been the first "building" year, but BC jumped the gun and declared the "rebuilding" phase to be over a year early; heading into a lockout shortened season with a new head coach installing a new culture/defensive philosophy with no training camp and a M.I.A. 1st round pick, no less!

I do think they have the elite talent to be a strong team in the playoffs year after year. Lowry, JV and DeRozan actually get me excited about the future as the backbone of this team. JV's ceiling is very high, Lowry has shown an extremely high level of play (i don't think he's fully healed yet) and DeRozan added an entirely new dimension to his game (post up) which has done wonders for his game and raised his ceiling even higher.

The big problem is that BC is one year pre-mature. Of the 3 best players on this team, one is a rookie. I think the Playoff push will be next year when all 3 have had time to gel and are clicking at a bit higher level. The disservice is that BC's contract is up this year so naturally he hoped this team would over achieve and make the playoffs so that his job could be extended.

I think we are close. We do have some very good young player. Jonas, Davis, Derozen, and Lowry could very will be the base for a perennial playoff team/contender. I think we are one trade (ehem Bags ehem) and a season or two of development time for JV from becoming one of the best young teams in the league

"When Life gives you lemons, you clone those Lemons to make super lemons!"
-Scudworth

I think we are close. We do have some very good young player. Jonas, Davis, Derozen, and Lowry could very will be the base for a perennial playoff team/contender. I think we are one trade (ehem Bags ehem) and a season or two of development time for JV from becoming one of the best young teams in the league

I think we are close. We do have some very good young player. Jonas, Davis, Derozen, and Lowry could very will be the base for a perennial playoff team/contender. I think we are one trade (ehem Bags ehem) and a season or two of development time for JV from becoming one of the best young teams in the league

I like Lowry. I actually like him a lot, but I worry about him in end of game situations because he seems to switch into MJ/Kobe mode. I was losing my mind when Bargs had a 34 point night in Detroit and Lowry just tried to bowl his way to the rim and Bargs didn't get a single touch in the last 2 and half minutes. He has done thi a couple of times this year which kind of worries me. I like the aggressivness but you have to be aggressive and smart.